West Kington Stud Trip

Following an entertaining talk given to Club members and friends in the Spring of 2023, Jane Holderness-Roddam extended a generous invitation for members to visit West Kington Stud in Wiltshire during the foaling season.

West Kington Stud offers a complete breeding service for Mare and Stallion owners. Mares are taken for foaling, insemination and embryo transfer, so the opportunity for our members to witness the stud during the full breeding season was one we were keen to accept.

16 club members enjoyed a fabulous day out and were given an extensive tour of the stud, starting with the competition yard, moving on to the mares and stallion yards, and also the ‘maternity’ field.  Our visit continued with members watching the procedure for semen collection from two stallions – Pencos Artic King (by the William Fox-Pitt ridden Badminton winner, Chilli Morning and out of the mare that produced Ros Canter’s Badminton winner and European Eventing champion Lordships Gruffalo) and The After Party (an exciting and striking young eventing stallion) before moving on to watch how the semen is processed in the laboratory, ready for insemination.

Lots of questions were asked and expertly answered by Jane’s knowledgeable and friendly team giving members a thorough understanding of the work undertaken by the Stud.

Following a picnic lunch on the lawn, the visit concluded with a walk out into the field where the mares and foals run as a herd and were totally unperturbed as they enjoyed their afternoon nap in the warm sunshine.

Photo Credit: Tessa Porter